Bulletin: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
What you need to know from this weekend’s bulletin:
Remembering our beloved dead….
November 2, 2025
With the whole Church, we celebrate today the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. We celebrate the love we have shared with our beloved dead, who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We pause and reflect on our certain faith in the mystery of the Communion of Saints, that is, our interrelationship as the pilgrim church with those suffering in purgatory and those triumphant in heaven. We pause to offer our special prayers and sacrifices for the repose of the souls of our loved ones.
When death comes so close to us, as in a family, we can feel more the emptiness and devastation that come with bereavement. Yet in our loss and bereavement, we discover God’s presence in the sympathy and love our friends and family offer us in our time of need. We learn to appreciate more the real value of the gifts of faith, family, and friendship. We discover the value of sympathy and solidarity that make us go through our difficulties and challenges in life with more faith, more hope, and more love.
As we remember our loved ones, we offer our prayers for them. We are encouraged to show sympathy and support for our families in their time of bereavement, especially those families who are alone in coping with this difficulty and challenge. This is also part of the reason we have the columbarium established in our church. The columbarium opens up ministries around grief support, renewal of friendships in family relationships during the time of bereavement, perpetual care for the remains of our loved ones, and our continued prayers for our beloved dead, especially during the celebration of All Souls’ Day and death anniversaries of our family and friends. We pledge that every gesture of affection and friendship we show to one another on behalf of our beloved dead becomes a sign of God’s love for all of us. The legacy of love and friendship that our loved ones have left us should inspire and move us to live a life full of love and concern for one another.
The celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is Christ’s own legacy of His self-sacrificing love for all of us. It is the celebration of the greatest love that this world has ever known through Christ’s own offering of His life for the forgiveness of our own sins, including the sins of our loved ones who have gone before us.
Healing Lines
November is the month of Family Violence Prevention. Research confirms the long-held assumption that family violence is as prevalent within religious/spiritually based communities as it is within the general population. Women of religious/spiritual communities often stay in abusive relationships longer. When they reach out to their spiritual leaders, they do not necessarily receive helpful counsel. “Many religious abuse victims want both the support and care of their faith communities and the skills and services that secular agencies can provide.” Let us reach out to those who need our compassion and support, especially during this designated month.
Announcements:
Please see this weekend’s bulletins for all announcements:
All Souls’ Day
St. Michael’s Eternal Springs Columbarium will be open for public prayer on All Souls’ Day, Sunday, November 2 from 8am – 8pm.
Pastoral Council
A Pastoral Council meeting was held on Tuesday, October 28. In keeping with an action item identified in the Parish Renewal Plan, the meeting started with Conversation in the Spirit, a prayerful reflection of the upcoming Sunday Gospel. Several agenda items were discussed, including ideas to start a youth program at SMCC, heating in the Sanctuary, and the upcoming Diocesan Advent Renewal Retreat on December 6. Full minutes will be published after Pastoral Council approval at our next meeting, scheduled for January 27, 2026.
Minutes from our September meeting can be found here: http://saintmichael.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SMCC-Pastoral-Council-Minutes-of-Meeting-September-30-2025-Bulletin.pdf
If you would like to attend one of our meetings as an observer, or if you have any questions or concerns, please reach us at 403-249-0423.
Fall Fundraiser
We are launching a parish-wide fundraising sale of high-quality protein products to help support our increasing needs as a community as we continue to witness God’s love and compassion in our midst. With any purchase, you contribute to our Church’s finances while enjoying some delicious food over the Advent and Christmas period. There are over 60 products to choose from! Your orders must be placed by Sunday, November 30 and can be picked up on Tuesday, December 9 from 4:00-5:00 pm at St. Michael’s Church. Please go to this link: St. Michael’s 2025 Fall Fundraiser – Fund Forward
Elevation Youth Group (Gr. 4-6)
Youths in Grade 4-6 are invited to join our brand new youth group: ELEVATION youth! Join us on Fridays from 6:30-8:30pm in the St. Nicholas room for devotions, snacks, games, faith, and fun! The program will start on November 7, with the final schedule coming out shortly, and will run until the spring. Pre-registration is required and capacity is dependent on volunteer availability. Click here to register or email youth@saintmichael.ca. All are welcome! We are also looking for volunteers to supervise activities, help with games, and provide a small snack for the group each week. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Gladys Doh gdoh@saintmichael.ca or our group leader Abigail Lewis at youth@saintmichael.ca.
Christmas Hampers
Christmas Hamper Program: Mark your calendars! Saint Michael Catholic Community’s annual Christmas Hamper Assembly and Delivery Day will be Monday, December 15. Watch for volunteer sign up in the Narthex after all Masses on the last two weekends of November. Questions? Email christmashampers@saintmichael.ca
Elevator Upgrade
An elevator upgrade work will be underway for two weeks (November 10-21). The elevator will be taken out of service for the entire time. We apologize for the inconvenience… Those who are interested in supporting this special project ($61,766.14 +tax) may contact the Office or Fr. Edmund for details.
Saturday Night Lights
Youths in grades 7-12 are invited to an evening of music, food, friendships, and talks hosted by Access 52. Dates for the evenings are November 29, January 10, February 14, and April 25. This is a free event. You may register by scanning the QR Code or visiting the website https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/saturday-night-lights-youth-group-october-25-tickets-1708730341449?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Together in Action (TIA)
This year’s goal is $121,243 and currently, we have reached 65% of this target amount. Thanks to your generosity, we reached this target amount last year. All surplus funds will go to our Building Fund to help pay our loan.
Rescheduled – One Time Only
Sunday, November 23, 2025 – Altar Servers Mass with the Bishop
Week-at-a-Glance: (Sat. Nov. 1, 2025 – Sun. Nov. 9, 2025):
Saturday, November 1: All Saints Day
No event.
Sunday, November 2: All Souls Day
Children’s Liturgy: 8:30am and 10:30am
Coffee Sunday: Narthex, after 9:00am Mass & 11:00am Mass
Potluck Sunday & Name Tag Sunday: Narthex, Kitchen, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Monday, November 3:
Bible Study: St. Nicholas’ Room, 6:30pm-9:00pm
Tuesday, November 4:
Rosary Group: Day Chapel, 5:20pm-5:50pm
CWL Memorial Service for Deceased Members: Day Chapel, 6:30pm
CWL Meeting: St. Michael’s Room, 7:00pm
RCIA: St. Nicholas Room, 7:00-9:00pm
Wednesday, November 5:
Men’s Ministry: Theater and Narthex, 6:00am-7:30am
Coffee Wednesday: Narthex, after 9am Mass
Women’s Ministry: St. Nicholas Room, 10:00am-12:00am
Thursday, November 6:
Moms & Tots: St. Nicholas’ Room, 9:30am-11:30am
Knitting Ministry: Library, 10:00am-12:00pm
Friday, November 7:
Elevation Youth Group (Gr. 4-6): St. Nicholas Room, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Saturday, November 8:
No event.
Sunday, November 9:
CANCELLED: Children’s Liturgy: 8:30am and 10:30am
Coffee Sunday: Narthex, after 9:00am Mass & 11:00am Mass
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Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, 02/11/2025, 546.22 KB